Portable information apparatuses, such as a digital camera, portable personal computer (PC), portable game machine, portable phone, and personal digital assistance (PDA), have been widely used by users carrying these apparatuses with them.
FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a conventional information apparatus, portable phone 201, disclosed in PTL 1. Portable phone 201 has display section 202 (e.g. liquid crystal display) on a front surface thereof to display letters, numerals, marks, and so on. Scroll bars 203 and 204 implemented by touch-pads are disposed near the lower end and the left-end of display section 202 respectively for a user to scroll a display horizontally and vertically with finger 205, so that the user can scroll the display in two dimensions.
FIG. 20 is a plan view of another conventional information apparatus, portable phone 206, disclosed in PTL 2. Portable phone 206 includes a rectangular and thin housing, display screen 211 disposed on a front surface of the housing, touch-pads 207 to 210 disposed on four side surfaces of the housing, respectively. Each of touch-pads 207 to 210 has a long and narrow shape having a longitudinal direction parallel to display screen 211. A sliding operation in parallel to screen 211 onto each of touch-pads 207 to 210 scrolls a display on screen 211, rolling an image on the display, or changing a display magnification.
FIG. 21 is an enlarged view of still another information apparatus, input device 212, disclosed in PTL 3. In input device 212, a sensor disposed in housing 213 instead of touch-pads detects a sliding operation performed by a user in order to operate a screen. Input device 212 includes, in housing 213, flexible printed circuit board (FPC) 214 having an electrostatic sensor sheet mounted thereto. FPC 214 having a sheet shape has sensor sheet 215 on a surface thereof for detecting the slide operation. Sensor sheet 215 is implemented by an electrostatic sensor sheet. Sensor sheet 215 disposed on the surface of FPC 214 is operable to, upon a sliding operation by a user with finger 217, depress key top 216 to depress key-part 219, and then cause contact-electrode 220 to touch projection 222 via dome-switch 221 to detect a position to which the sliding operation is performed, and output a position detecting signal.